According to the Ottawa Sun‘s Bruce Garrioch, the Senators may be venturing into the trade market to find a defensive partner for Erik Karlsson.
If true, it speaks volumes for where the organization think Marc Methot’s recovery is at. Methot, who was activated off the injured reserve (IR) back on December 4th, played in two games before suffering a setback and re-aggravating the same hip/back problem that he’s been dealing with since April.
Methot was put back on the IR earlier this week and there’s no timetable for his return. With Methot being out indefinitely, the Senators are extolling the virtues of being patient.
It’s not like they really have a choice at this point, mind you. Methot’s situation has been nothing but an unmitigated disaster over the past few months. From this offseason’s very public squabbles in which management accused Methot’s representation of negotiating in bad faith through the media to this lingering uncertainty as to when Methot will actually be able to play regularly again, there haven’t been many bright spots in this season for the veteran defenceman.
Like every other player who has entered the final year of their contract before hitting unrestricted free agency, this was supposed to be an opportunity for Methot to cash in on his next contract.
The final season of Methot’s contract represented an opportunity for the Senators, as well. If they could not agree to terms with him on a new deal, they would be then forced to trade him rather than lose him without compensation on the open free agent market. Perhaps Methot’s injury could give Ottawa some leverage in hopes of re-signing him at a friendlier rate, but if Methot continues to balk during negotiations (assuming, of course, that any are still taking place) with him, his injury could hamper whatever kind of return Ottawa expects to fetch. Although if last year’s trade deadline returns are any indication however, maybe fans shouldn’t expect an outlandish return for a rental anyway. (As an aside, the longer Methot remains out, the more you have to wonder whether corrective surgery will become a realistic alternative for Methot. I can understand the player’s willingness to be patient thanks to the allure of bigger free agent dollars, but if the issue doesn’t resolve itself soon — and maybe I’m getting ahead of myself here — at what point does Methot focus on being 100-percent healthy for the start of his next contract?)
It’s a weird predicament that the Senators are in, but as much as the Methot injury may compel the Senators to address their blue line situation now, it’s not like their blue line shortcomings is an issue that just reared its ugly head. Whether Methot was in the lineup or not, the blue line was one of the league’s worst collective units and as much as his injury compounds the situation, searching for solutions in this market now is an onerous task.
With so few teams already out of the playoff race and the general reluctance most organizations have for trading young, controllable defencemen, teams are relegated to looking at rentals like Andrej Sekera.
As I mentioned earlier, Sekera’s a good defenceman who plays on Carolina’s top pairing with Justin Faulk and averages 22:22 of ice time per game. Last season Sekera set career regular season highs in goals (11) and points (44). He may never approach those totals again, but it’s worth noting that despite playing tough minutes against the opposition’s best players on some very bad teams, Sekera has typically been a positive possession player throughout his career. For what it’s worth, his CF% this season is a solid 53.4.
Would he look good playing beside Erik Karlsson?
Unquestionably.
Would it make sense for a mediocre team to mortgage some combination of young players, prospects, draft picks to acquire a rental – even if the need was significant?
Absolutely not.
Sekera’s good, but the opportunity cost to acquire him could probably be better served spent on acquiring a cost player (or players) who would be under team control for the foreseeable future.
Even the most optimistic of fans would admit that acquiring Sekera would come with a considerable amount of risk. Although Craig Anderson can be cited as an example of an unrestricted free agent who was brought in and elected an extension rather than test free agency, Ales Hemsky serves as an example of a player who left at the conclusion of the season.
Moreover, the Hemsky example serves as a reminder the Senators are already operating with a slim margin for error. One player alone isn’t necessarily going to make the difference and help the Senators reach the postseason, especially if Methot continues to sit on the sidelines for an extended period of time. Even if they did, the organization should be weighing the cost of acquiring a rental against what expectations there are for this team to go an extended run.
In a 30-team league where more than half the teams qualify for the postseason loser points are rewarded for outside of regulation losses, the organization has to stop accepting the goal that being a competitive team that qualifies for the first round of playoffs is good enough.
Ottawa’s fans deserve better.
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